Effects of cationic antimicrobial peptides (CAMPs) on Vibrio cholerae in vitro and in vivo

V. cholerae continues to be a major health concern [1] and antibiotic resistance is developing quickly in V. cholerae. Antimicrobial peptides would be useful in treatment of V. cholerae but unlike the previous classical strains, the current El Tor strains are thought to be resistant to polymyxins, which are a group of cationic antimicrobial peptides (CAMPs) [2]. However, there is some evidence that V. cholerae El Tor strains maybe sensitive to naturally produced antimicrobial peptides [3]. Here, we study V. cholerae El Tor resistance/sensitivity to such antimicrobial peptides. Our focus was on LL-37, a cathelicidin-derived antimicrobial peptide found in human which has been shown to have broad spectrum antimicrobial activity [4] and protegrin-1, a former antibiotic candidate, ß-sheet peptide isolated from porcine leukocytes which also has broad range antimicrobial activity [5].